Lisa Smith Professor Collins October 27, 2012 Education 2204

School District 93 In-service Meeting

On October 4, 2012, I attended the school district 93 in-service for teachers. The seminar was at Bonneville High School and there were nineteen teachers in attendance. The principal from Sandcreek Middle School was the presenter for our group, and the time was from 8:00 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. I chose to attend this seminar because I wanted to understand the constant training process that teachers receive in order to better their classrooms. My impression was that the teachers have a genuine need to progress their students, and value new ideas in order to achieve the progression. The focus of the lecture was STEM, which stands for science, technology, engineering and math. Mr. Oswald stated that this is a new movement in education. It allows students to engage in real world problems and experiences through project-based experimental learning activities that lead to higher-level thinking. The students learn by shaping arguments and solving problems in the course of a continuous process of asking questions, experimenting, designing, creating, and gathering compelling supportive evidence. At least one school in Idaho Falls has already implemented this approach. We received an opportunity to participate in the experimental process by pairing off

in groups and constructing a tower made out of uncooked noodles and marshmallows. It was a fun exercise and it certainly got your mind thinking. I will definitely use this in a classroom because it incorporates a different way of learning that is hands on. The children get to solve a problem and incorporate each others ideas to complete the project. There is not a right or wrong way to accomplish the project, which can help many different students learn in the classroom.

Art Museum of Idaho

On October 18, 2012, I went to the Art Museum of Eastern Idaho to attend the Identity, Place and Culture exhibit. The art displayed celebrated Latino culture and promoted cross culture in Eastern Idaho. The artists were Alma Gomez, Latino artist and Ruby Chacon, Chicano artist. This particular cultural exhibit runs from August 30th-November 3rd, and is sponsored by the Idaho National Laboratory. Circumstances of the show were that it is a multi-faceted event that showcased folk art. I chose to attend this event because it seemed to provide a glimpse into a culture I am not familiar with. I wanted to learn about a different culture. The impression that I took away from the exhibit is that they are extremely passionate in regards to the art. There was a painting in particular that showed the suffering of this culture. The woman in the painting had her eyes sunken into her face, and on the neck I could see the underlying bones. Another painting from Alma Gomez had

three brothers standing by their car holding bottles of beer. It illustrated the bonds that are almost unbreakable between their people. I got the feeling that the brothers would do anything for each other. Classrooms are a great place to incorporate art. I learned from my experience at the museum that the director will actually come into your classroom, bring her own supplies, and create an art project with the students. I found this information invaluable for future students in my classroom. It brings a member of the community into the schools and assists in teaching the children. My experience in the art museum taught me to look deeper into the cultures of each child in my future classroom. It is important to understand where the child has come from in order to know how they learn.

School District 91 Board Meeting

On October 9, 2012, I attended the School District 91 board meeting at 690 John Adams Parkway in Idaho Falls Idaho. The hours of the meeting were from 7:008:45 p.m. Members of the board attended this meeting, as well as a few students from the local high schools, faculty members, a P.T.O. parent from Ethel Boyes, and a representative from the financial audit company. Board members include David Lent, Lisa Burtenshaw, Deidre Warden, Larry Haws, Superintendent George Boland, and Brian Hillman. In attendance also were Trina Caudle, Assistant Superintendent and Carrie Smith, Director of Human Resources and Finance. The meeting was approximately two hours in length.

I chose to attend this event because I have a child attending school in the district, and I was curious to see what types of issues are discussed in the meetings. My impression was that the board is very involved and appreciates the hard work and dedication of the employees at the district. Their main focus is to understand and address the issues in a timely manner. Recognitions are given to volunteers and staff to show their appreciation. In my future teaching profession, I will have a greater knowledge of the hard work and time spent by the board to ensure the children of district 91 are learning and growing as students. The district has representatives from each of the high schools give a presentation on the activities taking place at that particular school. I found it very interesting when two students from the new Technical Academy stood up and raved for twenty minutes about the forward thinking at the school. They love the learning environment and are doing much better than in a traditional school. All students learn in very different ways, and I will remember that in my classroom.

Fall Carnival at Discovery Elementary

On October 26, 2012, I attended the fall carnival at Discovery Elementary School. The hours of operation were from 6:00 p.m.- 8:00 p.m. The school was packed the entire time period with students, parents, faculty, and P.T.O. members. The principal and secretary of the school were also in attendance and volunteering their time at the bake sale.

I chose this event because I wanted to have a better understanding of the interaction between communities and schools. My impression was that there is a strong bond between the faculty at the school and the parents. There had to be a turn out of at least five hundred people at the carnival. The teachers volunteer their time to run the games in their classrooms, which provides a different kind of learning environment that includes everyone in attendance. Parents at the school interacted on a personal level with faculty members and shared a genuine respect for each other. I could see students showing parents artwork they had completed, or where their desk was located in the classroom. They were so excited to have the parents interact in a fun environment and I could hear voices saying they would be sure to attend the spring carnival this year. I will use this tool in my classroom because you can get to know the families in a different environment. A teacher volunteering their time for the benefit of students is a great example of caring about your students. I can remember when my son was young; he would be so excited to attend the carnival. He would boast about it for weeks, until the day finally came and we would make sure the whole family attended. The carnival assists in bringing families and communities together for a common goal in the education of our children.

AIDS Awareness Quilt

On November 29, 2012, I attended the AIDS Awareness Event at the Elks Lodge in Idaho Falls. The event took me by surprise because I thought that it would take maybe half an hour to view the quilt. I ended up being there two hours, reading every inscription and viewing every detail on each quilt. I also thought that it would be a sad event to attend; however I was more humbled then sad. The love and hope in the messages were inspirational because these people were not angry or defeated; instead their messages were positive and hopeful. I believe this event was my favorite to attend because of the message I took away from it. Life is too short to harbor resentments or blame others. Live life everyday, not just on special occasions. The interaction with the community was tremendous and I will be attending this event in the future.

Teacher Meeting

On December 5, 2012, I attended a teacher meeting at Discovery to observe how teachers create ideas to incorporate in the classroom. They use these ideas to incorporate parents into the classroom by addressing the needs of the students. The parents come into help with skill passing, reading, and art projects during the week. The skill passing is for kindergarten, and they also want to incorporate Title 1 if possible. They also were discussing Star testing and what is expected of the children to progress to the next level. I asked if parents could assist with STAR testing in the

lab, and how much parent participation is received in the week. They have excellent support from parents. I chose this event because I was excited to learn how teachers brainstorm ideas and work together to create avenues for parents.

Jazz Band Performance

On November 14, 2012, I attended a Skyline Jazz Band performance from 7:00- 8:45. I wanted to attend this event because it took place at the Festival of Trees and the interaction between school, community, and parents was obvious. The room was packed with parents supporting their children, and in turn the community event was supported. I was told that because of the support, the band is asked back to perform every year, and has been doing so since the festival began. This is a great example of collaboration in the community between schools and parents. I will use this experience in the future to expand on community events and encourage participation.

Wizard of Oz Performance

On November 12, 2012, I attended the Wizard of Oz performance at the Colonial Theatre. The event included local students both as actors and as musicians. I attended this event because of I was curious about the arts in our community.